The Nigerian federal government has commenced the construction of three megastores, aimed at fast-tracking the establishment of vaccine hubs in the country. The groundbreaking ceremony of the 3-Hub project took place in Abuja on Thursday, with the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, stating that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is one of the three mega stores planned for vaccine storage capacity at the national level in Nigeria.
Dr Ehanire explained that the country has a continuously increasing population coupled with the introduction of new and essential vaccines, necessitating sufficient storage space for vaccines and injection materials to efficiently implement the immunization programme. Each of the hubs is centralised to serve two geopolitical locations and decentralised to timely respond to increasing vaccine demands.
Of the three hubs, FCT and Kano are being funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccine initiative (GAVI), while the Lagos hub will be funded through a World Bank loan. The construction of the three hubs is aimed at improving the immunisation logistics network, increasing vaccine storage capacity, and accommodating the need for vaccines through 2035.
According to Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the hubs will improve the storage and preservation of vaccines and other medical equipment needed for immunisation. The Lagos and Kano hubs are expected to commence construction simultaneously with that of the FCT.
The Chief of Health at UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Eduardo Celades, revealed that the UN had set the goal of reducing the number of zero-dose children by 25% and 50% by 2025 and 2030, respectively. Nigeria has the second-highest number of zero-dose children globally, underscoring the importance of the hubs in achieving the immunisation objectives of the country.
The COVID-19 vaccination supply chain challenges have highlighted the need for massive expansion of storage facilities to build resilience in the system. To address this, the government has initiated a system redesign that deploys optimised cold chain equipment, efficient distribution system, and an electronic logistics management information system to improve visibility across the supply chain.
The construction of the three mega vaccine hubs is a significant milestone in the immunisation programme in Nigeria, and a reflection of the government’s commitment to improving the healthcare system’s resilience.
